Ultimate Exile
by MarvelMaster616
Summary: In wake of Galactus's destruction of the Ultimate universe, Jean Grey is transported to 616. There she finds a world very different from her own, but one where some of the people she lost are alive, including Cyclops. But can she build a new life a life in this new world? And is Cyclops willing to accept her?


**Ultimate Exile**

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><p><strong>AN: This takes place during Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand in Marvel's Ultimate universe. For 616, it takes place shortly after X-men Battle of the Atom. This story is not related to my X-men Supreme series in any way. This is just an idea that came to mind in following the events of Cataclysm. And thanks to the help of my good friend, Agent-G, I feel this is a story worth telling. Thank you Agent-G!<strong>

'_**This means character thoughts or psychic communication'**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own X-men or Ultimate Marvel and I am making no money off this. They are the property of Stan Lee and Marvel. Please don't sue.**

**This fic contains mature material so if that offends you, please don't read it. That being said, I encourage everyone to take the time to review this story. Send me your feedback via email ****or post a review on the fanfiction website. Also, I've posted an uncut version on the adultfanfiction website if anyone is interested. Thank you and enjoy the story.**

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><p><strong>New York City – Ultimate Earth<strong>

The world was coming to an end. Galactus, the cosmic entity from another universe, was about to devour Earth. The Ultimates had a plan to stop it. Reed Richards and Spider-Man were going to travel into the dimension from which Galactus originated, enlist help from their counterparts, and use the portal to suck Galactus back into his own universe. That plan had failed. Galactus sent one of the Gah Lak Tus drones he hijacked from the Kree to attack the site, destroying the portal while killing Reed and Spider-Man in the process. Now there were without hope as the Earth's mightiest heroes prepared for a final showdown.

"This is it, everybody! This thing is about to eat our world! Say your final prayers and swallow all your fears! This is our last stand!" proclaimed Captain America as he and every last hero converged on Galactus.

The monolithic creature looked unafraid. He had already destroyed the entire state of New Jersey and carved out a sizable chunk of New York City to construct a massive device. According to Tony Stark, he was going to use this device to devour their planet. It looked like it had already been activated. The skies had already grown dark. A massive cloud akin to an erupting volcano surrounded Galactus and the machine. And on the scorched Earth around it, every hero on the planet prepared to attack. The Ultimates, the X-men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Howling Commandos, the West Coast Avengers, and SHIELD had all converged for this attack. Few, if any, expected to survive.

And on the front line of this attack was Jean Grey, a former X-man and the former ruler of Tian. She wielded the power of the mysterious Phoenix Force, a power that even she didn't fully understand. But since they needed to pull out all the stops, she led the charge against this powerful entity.

She initially had little inclination to help the same people who didn't give a damn when mutants were criminalized after Magneto's treachery. Then Galactus sent more of his Gah Lak Tus drones to Utopia, attacking the already decimated mutant population and killing many in the process. This gave her more than enough incentive to join the Ultimates in a final stand against Galactus. She had already lost nearly everything and everyone she ever cared for. Now she was about to lose everything else. At this point, Jean was all too ready for this to be the end.

"Hey you! Big ugly guy with the goofy hat!" shouted Jean, "You want to be the end of this world? Be my guest! But I'm going to make sure you share in the pain!"

The powerful psychic flew towards Galactus's face at full speed, surrounded by the fires of the Phoenix Force. Thor was right behind her and she could sense the rest of the X-men down below, urging her on despite all the terrible things she did as the ruler of Tian.

But Galactus saw her coming and turned away from his machine to focus on her. He immediately recognized the fires around her as belonging to the Phoenix Force. He remembered that force well. In the universe he came from, he had encountered it many times before. He sensed it was somewhat different in this universe, but it still had the potential to be very disruptive. So rather than expend energy that could otherwise be utilized to sate his insatiable hunger, he dealt with this threat in a very different way.

"No…you won't," Galactus said in a tone that seemed to reverberate through the whole planet.

As Jean closed in, the world-eater's eyes erupted in a bright bluish glow. He then unleashed a devastating beam of energy right at her. She instinctively put up a fiery psionic barrier to protect herself and returned fire with some punishing psychic blasts of her own. The young psychic threw away every notion of limitation and restraint, attacking the massive entity with everything she had. The force of her attack clashed with that of Galactus, but in the midst of this powerful clash there was an unexpected effect on her.

To everyone who saw it, Jean appeared to be sucked into the bluish light. Every ember of the Phoenix Force that surrounded her was soon sucked in as well. And in an instant, one of their most powerful allies disappeared from existence.

"JEAN!" yelled a chorus of horrified voices from the X-men and their various allies.

This was the last thing Jean heard before the energy from this clash with Galactus completely engulfed her. As it surrounded her, the very fabric of space and time was ripped apart like a piece of tissue paper. For a moment, it felt like every atom in her body was about to fly apart. Jean fought with every ounce of psychic strength to hold herself together, but eventually it all failed. Then everything around her faded completely.

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><p><strong>New Xavier School for Mutants – Earth 616<strong>

"Aaaghhh!" exclaimed a teenage Jean Grey as she clutched her head in agony.

The relative calm of the New Xavier School, which was always relative to any school built out of a former Weapon X facility, was shattered unexpectedly. This was supposed to be their lunch period. It was meant to be a time when things slowed down so the young mutants, especially the time displaced original X-men, could collect their thoughts. They had all been eating quietly in the cafeteria with Kitty, X-23, and the original X-men sitting at one particular table. Then Jean had yet another psychic episode.

"Whoa! What's with her? The meatloaf isn't _that_ bad," said Benjamin Deeds from another table.

"Jean? What's wrong?" asked a worried teenage Scott Summers.

"I…I don't know. I just sensed something so…overwhelming," she replied breathlessly.

"Well whose crazy thoughts did you pick up on this time?" asked a teenage Warren Worthington III as he and Scott rushed to her aid.

"Are we going to have to have another long chat about reading other peoples' thoughts without permission?" said Professor Kitty Pryde, who had seen reactions like this from Jean before.

"No, it wasn't that! I swear!" said Jean, still clutching her head, "This was different. It was like…someone else's thoughts popping into my mind, but they didn't feel like someone else's. They felt like…mine."

It sounded even stranger when she tried to put it into words. She almost felt foolish for trying, even as the pain in her head faded. Scott and Warren helped her back to her feet, but she still felt the lingering effects of this strange psychic surge. Jean was still very new to being a telepath and had already gotten herself into a lot of trouble. However, this feeling was distinct in that it felt especially attuned to her mind.

"So someone else was thinking your own thoughts? Am I the only one confused here?" asked a teenage Bobby Drake.

"Perhaps this is another instance of your mind adjusting to your telepathy. In reading so many thoughts, your brain could be confused about which thoughts are its own," a teenage Beast hypothesized.

"Let's not add to the confusion with confusing theories, Hank," said Kitty, who had already set aside her food, "We better check with Emma and the Cuckoos. Maybe they sensed something as well."

"Way ahead of you, Miss Pryde. As is often the case," came three identical voices.

Kitty, X-23, and the time displaced X-men turned around to see the three Stepford sisters entering the cafeteria. Mindee, Phoebe, and Celeste had been spending their lunch period with Emma Frost. But it had to be cut short for reasons for reasons the others had already surmised.

"That was fast," said Laura, "How bad is it and how bad is it going to get?"

"That's…not an easy question to answer," said Phoebe.

"We just picked up on a new psychic signature that seemed to emanate from Jean-lite over here," said Celeste, never missing a chance to scold her psychic rival.

"And it's a very unique signature to say the least," said Mindee, "Although we have felt something like it before."

"How so?" asked Kitty intently.

"I don't think we can put it into words without adding to the confusion," said Mindee, "This is something we'll all have to see for ourselves."

"And if it's as disturbing as we think it is, we had better expect to be both confused and frustrated," said Celeste, already dreading the possibilities.

"I've already informed Cyclops and Magik. We're expected to be ready to go in less than five minutes," said Phoebe.

The teenage Jean Grey was still processing what she had just sensed. She was hardly ready to confront it, but it didn't feel like something she could ignore or set aside. The rest of the team had already set their lunch aside and followed Professor Pryde to the staging area. Having already seen so many terrible visions of her future, she dreaded what they might encounter.

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><p><strong>Unknown Location<strong>

"Jean…come to me. I've been waiting for you."

"Hnn…what happened? Am I dead yet?" groaned a very confused Jean Grey.

This had to be the end. She had already entered the light at the end of the tunnel. In every direction there was only bright white light, but it didn't feel like light. It was more like fire, creating a white hot ambience. However, it didn't burn or even feel hot. For all Jean knew, her body had been burnt to a crisp and she was just a disembodied mind. But as this strange voice beckoned her, her thoughts became more coherent.

"You're not dead, Jean…not yet. But you still need to save yourself."

The voice sounded clearer this time. Jean recognized it as her vision cleared as well. She started looking around and realized that her body had not been destroyed. Her flesh was intact and completely unscarred. She also noticed something peculiar. She was completely naked. Not only that, her hair had grown out. The short style she had earlier changed. Now her hair extended past her shoulders and down to her lower back. This only added to her confusion and after reorienting herself, she focused on the voice.

It was coming from male figure in the distance. She could see his shadow through the white hot flames. Jean began floating towards it, watching it become clearer. She soon recognized it and in doing so, the flames around her erupted with greater fury.

"Oh my God…Scott?!" Jean gasped.

"Not quite, but close," he replied in a somewhat humored tone, "You've lost so much. Now your world is gone. But this doesn't have to be the end."

"What do you mean?"

Jean was so close to the figure at this point that she could make out his appearance. He looked just like Scott. And like her, he was naked. His eyes were glowing bright red and he looked sad. When he reached out to her and touched her with his face, everything around her started moving. The white hot fires of this domain burned like the exhaust of a rocket. They were now flying through the white hot flame, soaring around the space within space itself.

Jean instinctively clung to him, now clutching his glowing form with every ounce of strength. For a moment, it felt like she was in the arms of the man she loved again. But even as they embraced under the heat of the white hot flames, she felt him fading away.

"Scott wait! Don't leave me again!" she cried.

"It's okay, Jean. I'm not leaving you," he told her, "I'm just a guide. I can't undo the mistakes you've made. I can only take you to a place where you have a chance to rebuild your life."

"Rebuild? But I…"

"It'll be okay. You're still Jean Grey. You're still an X-man. That's all you'll need. That's all you've ever needed. Trust me."

His voice grew fainter as his warmth faded away like a cloud of dust. Jean then found herself alone again, but she was still moving, as if an invisible hand was carrying her to a specific destination. She couldn't tell where it was, but she knew there was no going back.

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><p><strong>New York City – Earth 616<strong>

"Ungh…am I still not dead?" groaned a very sore and very dazed Jean Grey.

All the chaos and carnage that had surrounded her was gone. The white hot fires had disappeared and so had Galactus. There were now only the crisp winds of the early morning city air.

When Jean opened her eyes, she was greeted by the welcome sight of the New York City skyline. It wasn't in ruin or being destroyed. Instead, she could only hear the sounds of traffic and wind. It would have been so soothing if she hadn't been so sore. Her body felt like it had lead weights on all her limbs. Her strength gradually returned to her and she soon realized that she was on the rooftop of a tall building in downtown Manhattan.

As Jean rose to her feet, she felt a cold gust of wind wash over her body. This helped her realize that just like before, she was naked. The tight-fitting uniform she had worn in her battle against Galactus had been burnt to a crisp. She also realized that her hair was back to being short again. But other than being uncomfortably exposed, she was in one piece. Now hugging her exposed upper body, she looked around at the Manhattan skyline. For the most part, it looked the same. But she soon noticed a few distinct differences.

'_Is this really New York? Where's the Triskelton? And why does Stark Tower have a big A on it?' _Jean wondered as she looked around.

Her mind raced as she searched for answers. Jean began picking up on a few stray thoughts from the people below. They were nothing out of the ordinary, which was pretty telling because mere moments ago she heard nothing but cries about how the world was coming to an end. Sensing less dire thoughts actually came as a relief. Most were the same thoughts she had picked up on many times before from ordinary people, but she sensed some unique variations.

'_Whoa…the Ultimates are called the Avengers? Spider-Man is an adult? And he has his own base on an island? Mutants were going extinct and now they're not?!'_ Jean mused as she tried to make sense of these thoughts.

It soon dawned on her. She looked back towards what was supposed to be Stark Tower. But now everyone was calling it Avengers Tower. It led to only one conclusion.

"This is another universe! The universe Galactus came from…this must be it! He must have sent me here in that blast!" Jean surmised.

It made too much sense. She had heard from Kitty how an adult Peter Parker from another world had visited theirs. He met with the new Spider-Man, SHIELD, and their Peter Parker's family. Then after a battle against a villain named Mysterio, he returned to this world. Now here she was, transported to this world and with no indication that hers had survived.

But unlike the world she came from, this world hadn't been so thoroughly decimated. The X-men may be alive. Scott may be alive. Wolverine may be alive. Professor Xavier may be alive. Another version of herself might even be alive. There were so many possibilities. Jean began to understand what that figure had told her. The world she came from was probably long gone by now. Now she was in a new world with a fresh chance to rebuild her life.

'_A whole new world…a world where everyone I love isn't dead or hates my guts. I must learn more about it! But first, I need some clothes.'_

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><p><strong>Jean Grey Institute – Hank's Lab<strong>

"Hmm…this is most peculiar," said an intrigued Hank McCoy.

"What is it this time, Hank? Did Quire use your our servers to download porn again? Tell me now so I can feed him to Karoka," said Logan, who was checking in with Hank while drinking his morning coffee.

"You'll have to find another reason to punish, Mr. Quire. This is something very different…something of the perplexing-distortions-of-space-and-time variety, as if we haven't had our fill of those."

Logan set his coffee aside and looked at the readings on Hank's holographic computer monitor. He didn't usually take an interest in anything too scientific. He had always been content to leave that to the Reed Richards and the Hank McCoys of the world. But after the events of the battle against Ultron, he had to take note of any anomaly in the space-time continuum.

He hadn't forgotten how his actions and that of the Avengers created a massive disruption in the time-stream. Those disruptions only got worse with their recent encounter with a future version of the X-men and Brotherhood. With those debacles fresh in his mind, he didn't have the stomach for another.

"If this involves more time-traveling X-men from the future and kids I end up having with Mystique, I'm gonna need way more whiskey," said Logan.

"Your liver can rest easy. This anomaly doesn't appear to include any temporal abnormalities. Near as I can tell, the timeline is as intact as ever," Hank explained.

"Relatively speaking, that is," the former living weapon quipped.

"That part was implied. But these readings seem to involve extra-dimensional phase shifting coupled with enhanced quantum wormhole generation. I'm tempted to call up Reed Richards or Hank Pym to see if they have been conducting any experiments of the sort, but I suspect this is something more exotic. The energy signature of the phase shifting and the unique vibrations of the quantum wormholes seem to indicate…"

Logan put his hand up to cut Hank off. He was getting to technical again, forgetting that he was in a school for mutants and not a school for supergeniuses.

"Skip the physics lecture already, Hank! Tell me whether this is something that'll require putting the school on lockdown…again," said Logan urgently.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to determine, but none of the alarms have gone off and there are no stray black holes tearing our planet asunder. So perhaps that won't be necessary for once."

"I'm gonna put the staff on alert just in case."

Logan left the lab, working under the assumption that something was on its way to destroy the Jean Grey Institute. Given their recent track record, it was not an unreasonable assumption. But the more Hank analyzed this data, the more convinced he became that this was something more complicated than a typical space-time anomaly.

As he looked at the incoming readings, he began cross-referencing the numbers with other databases. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, SHIELD, Stark Industries, and other various agencies maintained detailed records of every anomaly with the space-time continuum. This one didn't appear to fall in line with abnormalities associated with time travel or parallel realms like Asgard and the Negative Zone. However, he did notice that there was one other recorded instance of this anomaly that had been documented by Horizon Labs.

"Hmm…this is most intriguing," said Hank as he read over the details from the Horizon Lab report, "Residual energy emanating from a world in an alternate universe that that is strongly connected to our own? I'm not sure if that warrants locking down the school again, but it certainly warrants further investigation."

Hank immediately set aside the other projects he had planned to address this morning so he could focus on this particular anomaly. He would update the rest of the staff once he knew more about it. They could then decide whether this warranted further action.

While Hank narrowed his focus on the incoming data, Rachel Grey entered his lab. He didn't notice her at first. However, he did expect that he wouldn't be the only one to pick up on this anomaly.

"Hey Hank, you got a minute?" Rachel asked, "I just got done running a routine scan with Cerebra, and I…"

"Detected an unusual space-time manifestation in the Lower Manhattan area?" Hank said without even looking in her direction.

"Um…yeah, so it wasn't just me," she replied.

"And I doubt we'll be the last. I'm already hard at work figuring this out. I will let you know what I uncover. So unless you can tell me something that I cannot already surmise from the raw data, please let me work."

Hank was in that deeply focused state-of-mind again where he shut out distractions and anyone who didn't have anything new to add. Rachel didn't bother trying to break him out of this state. He was in a better position to figure it out than she was. However, she still lingered, looking at this data that she was not qualified to interpret.

She thought she might be able to add something to this data because she sensed something else that no amount of data could quantify. But it might only add to the confusion and distract Hank from uncovering the truth. If what she sensed was even remotely close to what she suspected, then she would rather wait for it to be confirmed so she could prepare herself for more heart-wrenching distress.

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><p><strong>Jean Grey Institute – Outside<strong>

'_Whoa…the Xavier Institute got destroyed. Then they rebuilt it and named it after me?! This world is way more fucked up than I thought!'_

Standing atop a hill overlooking the Jean Grey Institute, an overwhelmed Jean Grey tried to make sense of everything she had discovered about this world so far. It was more than a little jarring. It may not be as hopeless as the situation in her world, but it was hardly ideal.

Jean had already dealt with her share of less-than-ideal situations. After flying down from the roof, she snuck into the loading area of a clothing store as a truck was delivering a fresh shipment of clothes. She used her telepathy to make sure nobody saw her or her naked body in the early morning sun. She then used those same powers to coax the driver of the truck to look the other way while she retrieved a pair of panties, some blue denim shorts, and a black halter top. She tried to find some shoes as well, but all she came up with were a pair of sandals. That would have to serve her for now.

But that had been the easy part. Locating the former Xavier Institute had been the second easiest. It was at the exact same address as the institute she remembered. But in this world, it was the Jean Grey Institute. That alone had been pretty shocking. And as she scanned some of the thoughts from the students and staff, she uncovered the reason for the name and a few other jarring details about this world.

While some of her friends such as Wolverine and Cyclops were still alive, Professor Xavier was still dead. Not only that, her counterpart was also dead. And apparently the Wolverine in this world had the same creepy obsession with her that the Wolverine in her world had so he named the school after her. That made her a little hesitant to confront him. It also made her hesitant to learn more about the circumstances of her death. But this revelation also presented an opportunity of sorts.

'_Fucked up or not, they're apparently in need of a Jean Grey. Theirs managed to get herself killed by some creepy guy named Xorn who may or may not have been Magneto. I'm not sure I even want to know the details about that. But even if there is room for another Jean Grey, do I really want that role? Even in a school named after me?'_

It may not have been ideal, but the possibility was definitely there. The Jean Grey in this world was gone and she needed to rebuild her life. She had already tried doing that as Karen Grant, but that only ended in disaster. She couldn't just throw away who she was. She needed to be Jean Grey. She just wasn't sure that she could be Jean Grey in a place like this.

She was eager to learn more. Jean continued to scan the thoughts of the students and staff. She soon found out that Nightcrawler was also dead in this universe and she even picked up on a few thoughts pertaining to time travel and time displaced X-men. She wasn't sure what to make of that, but before she could dig deeper, she detected something.

'_Oh crap! They've got a telepath in there and their own version of Cerebro. There's no way I'm going to guard my mind from that for very long. Since I'm dead and in no position to explain myself, I better lay low for a while.'_

Jean then shielded her mind, effectively cutting off any outside scans. She had just confronted Galactus, had some strange vision of Scott in a white hot vision, and woke up in a world that was complicated in entirely different ways compared to hers. Jean needed to find out more and she needed to do it in a way that didn't involve her confronting the rest of the X-men. If she was going to build a new life in this world, she had to make the right impression.

With her mind now shielded, she took to the air and flew away until the Jean Grey Institute was completely out of sight. She didn't have a destination in mind. She just needed to go somewhere where she wouldn't be as overwhelmed. The young psychic was still too overwhelmed to formulate a coherent plan. Then while still flying at high speeds, she felt a punishing psionic force break her mental shields.

"Ahhh! My head! Who the hell?!" Jean exclaimed.

'_Funny, we were about to say the same thing,'_ said three identical telepathic voices in perfect unison.

The bewildered young woman then fell to the ground, tumbling roughly on the grass. When she stopped, she looked up to see a bright yellow gateway form in front of her. And from that gateway, Cyclops emerged with Magik, who had created the portal from back at the base. Emma emerged with him along with the three Stepford sisters. The time displaced Jean Grey stayed close as well, acting as a guide of sorts to the anomaly that she initially detected. And when they saw the familiar figure before them, they were just as bewildered.

"Is this what you sensed, Jean?" said a very annoyed Emma Frost.

"Um…yes, but what exactly am I sensing?" asked the teenage Jean Grey, now even more confused than before.

"It looks exactly what you think it is," said Magik, who already had her sword drawn in a defensive stance.

"Another Jean Grey?" said Scott distantly.

"Another bloody Jean Grey!" said Emma, now sounding even more annoyed.

Cyclops felt his heart leap up into his throat again. Once again, he was looking at an alive Jean Grey. It was hard enough seeing her in her original, innocent teenage form. It was even harder seeing her at her most corrupted as Xorna. Now she was looking at another one and his heart could barely take the strain. He started shaking his head in disbelief, not ready to confront another Jean.

'_No…I can't go through this again!'_ he thought to himself while trying to maintain his poise.

While Cyclops endured heartache, the rest of the team remained confused and apprehensive. The last Jean Grey they encountered turned out to be a homicidal psychopath that had been jaded by a future that she helped create. This Jean Grey didn't look quite as psychotic, but she looked plenty disturbed.

"What do you think, Miss Frost? Should we hit her with another, less gentile psychic attack?" asked Celeste, who was all too eager to take down another Jean Grey.

"After what the last Jean Grey did to us? I prefer a hostile approach," said Phoebe.

"She's confused, overwhelmed, and irrational. Better decide soon!" said Mindee.

"Well since my darling ex can't seem to pick his jaw up off the floor, I may have to decide for him," said Emma as she looked down at this new Jean Grey.

They were all too eager to attack her, especially after the humiliation they suffered at the hands of Xorna. But the teenage Jean Grey sensed more than just confusion in this new visions of herself. She wasn't like Xorna, but she had the potential to be just as hostile if they pushed her.

"No! Don't attack her!" exclaimed the teenage Jean Grey, jumping out in front of the Cuckoos before they could act.

"Give us a damn good reason because I'm not in the mood for another psychic hissy fit," said Magik.

"Let me talk to her. I'm the one that sensed her first. I might as well be the one to help her."

Magik and Emma remained inclined to attack before they had another Xorna on their hands, but Cyclops waved them down and gave the teenage Jean a chance. Emma could've easily pointed out that he was thinking with the wrong head again. However, she doubted that would change his mind. When it came to Jean Grey, she could always depend on Scott Summers to make the most irrational decision possible.

At this point, the new Jean had recovered enough to rise to her feet again. Her mind was still so overwhelmed from everything she had learned about this world so far that it took her a moment to process what she was seeing. She recognized Emma Frost, although she didn't remember the Emma she knew dressing in black leather or looking like she had some plastic surgery. She didn't recognize the three girls next to her, two of which had blond hair just like hers. She also didn't recognize the blond with the big sword, who sounded somewhat like Colossus's sister, but nowhere near as cute as the one she met when she visited her in Russia.

But the one she recognized most was Cyclops. She had already found out that he was alive in this world, but she was not at all ready to confront him. If that weren't overwhelming enough, there appeared to be another version of herself approaching her. She couldn't have been older than 16-years-old, but she clearly had her powers because she could sense her probing her thoughts.

"It's okay. We mean you no harm," said the teenage Jean carefully while peeking into her mind, "I think I sensed you when you arrived. Although that may be pushing it because I'm still way too new at this telepath thing to…"

"Stop! Just…stop talking right now," said the other Jean, now clutching her head as if she now had a headache.

"Hey, take it easy. Trust me, I'm as confused as you are."

"No…you're not. And you really need to stop!" she reiterated.

"Just let me help you! We're in the same boat here, aren't we? I mean you're Jean Grey. I'm Jean Grey. We should be able to help each other, right?"

The other Jean looked at this younger version of herself with more apprehension. She looked and sounded so innocent and timid, but she could already sense a distinct lack of sincerity in her words. She may have been Jean Grey, but she didn't understand what she was going through. And her trying to probe her thoughts wasn't helping.

"You're not the other me! The other me is dead!" Jean shouted.

"Well technically…" the teenage Jean began.

"Enough! You've been trying to probe my head since the moment you arrived! Get the hell out right now or I'll make you regret it! And believe me, I'm more than willing to hurt myself!"

The other Jean forcibly blocked the psychic probe from her teenage self. This put the teenage Jean in a lot of discomfort, causing her to fall to one knee and clutch her head. It also further agitated this new Jean Grey. She started manifesting a halo of fiery flames around her body. It was the distinct sign of the Phoenix Force, which meant the time for being civil was over.

"Not this again…not this!" groaned Cyclops at the sight of the Phoenix.

"That's it. I'm making the decision here," said Emma strongly, "You had your chance to not be deadpanned, darling. And now she's manifesting the Phoenix."

"That's an epic fail if ever there was one," commented Magik.

"Girls, if you would…" said Emma in an extra smug tone.

"Gladly!" the three of them said all too eagerly.

The Stepford Cuckoos took full advantage of this other Jean Grey's confusion. Her thoughts were so chaotic and completely focused on attacking her teenage self. This left her mind vulnerable to a psychic attack. Xorna never made herself this vulnerable when they battled her so they took full advantage of it, hitting her with a punishing attack that effectively froze her mind and knocked her out cold.

"Ahhhhhh!" she cried out as she fell to her knees.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" shouted Cyclops, finally emerging from his paralyzed state.

"Relax, Mr. Summers. We're just putting her down for a nap. Trust us, she needs it," the three of them said.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. After the punishing psychic attack, this new Jean Grey fell unconscious. Her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, the flames that had been surrounding her fading in the process. It allowed some to breathe a sigh of relief while others were left dazed.

For the teenage Jean Grey, the confusion had since turned into horror. For that brief moment when she started manifesting the Phoenix Force, she picked up on some of her thoughts. Her mind was so chaotic that her shields faltered and she saw a stream of memories. First, she saw that she had just come from a terrible battle against something called Galactus, a creature that had apparently destroyed her world. Then she saw more memories of this world she came from. They were somewhat scrambled, but the world they described revealed a world very different than the one she knew. And apparently, this other version of herself had been deeply scarred by this world.

"My god…she really is me," she gasped.

"Are you sure?" said Magik skeptically, "I don't remember you ever cutting your hair that short."

"I mean she is me, but from another world! And this world she came from…it was once full of so much hope. But then it was destroyed! Everything and everyone that she…that I loved was destroyed. She was so sad and so angry. The things she did to herself and everyone she…"

Now their teenage Jean Grey was getting overwhelmed. Scott stopped her before she could continue, not needing her to get too overwhelmed as well.

"Slow down, Jean," he said to her, "Quit trying to process everything at once. We need to take a step back and figure out what we're dealing with here."

"And what exactly are we dealing with here, darling? I mean other than having another Jean Grey to strain that already fragile heart of yours?" said Emma with folded arms.

"She's a mutant in distress…a lot of distress from the looks of it," he said as he carefully approached the unconscious woman.

"Who happens to be a counterpart of your dead wife with an even worse sense of style, especially with her hair," scoffed Emma.

"I know who she is, Emma. She may not be my Jean. She may not even belong to this world. But she's clearly confused and needs our help. And that's what we do. We help mutants who need it."

Cyclops had already made up his mind. They were taking this new Jean Grey back to their base. He carefully took her in his arms and cradled her unconscious body. His heart leaped up into his throat again upon seeing her up close. Even with her short hair and intense hostility, she had all the distinct features of Jean Grey. She looked, smelled, and felt like the woman he fell in love with. But she was clearly a very different Jean Grey and one who had been through a lot. Even if she wasn't his Jean, he needed to help her.

Emma's vision narrowed on her former lover and on the teenage Jean Grey, who seemed equally concerned. She didn't like what she sensed from this woman and not just because she was another Jean Grey who could potentially become hostile. She agreed to join Cyclops's revolution because she believed he would put the needs of every mutant above his own, even though they were wanted fugitives. But after what happened with Xorna and the time displaced X-men, he seemed to be losing his focus. Now with yet another Jean Grey in their midst, it seemed like he would be even more emotionally compromised. That didn't bode well for him or their revolution.

* * *

><p><strong>New Xavier School for Mutants – Research Lab<strong>

Upon returning with yet another Jean Grey in their midst, Cyclops dedicated much of his energy and that of the team to learning more about her. It started with a few simple medical tests, all of which were conducted while she was still unconscious. Given the hostility she demonstrated earlier, it didn't appear they would get the answers they wanted through a civil conversation.

Once the tests were complete, Cyclops moved her to one of the empty dormitories. They learned from their experience with Laura that it wasn't wise to have new guests wake up on an examination table in a former Weapon X lab. Hopefully, waking up in a more comfortable surrounding would calm her down. As they spent hours going over the test results and researching a possible explanation for this development, she woke up. However, she didn't do or say much. She just sat in her room, hugging her knees and staring off into space.

"How's she doing?" Scott asked the teenage Jean and the Cuckoos, who had been monitoring her.

"Are you asking because you're concerned?" asked Mindee.

"Or are you asking because you're entertaining the possibilities?" asked Phoebe.

"All of which are disturbing, I might add," said Celeste.

"Please stop trying to psychoanalyze everything, girls. Just tell me how she is!" said the frustrated X-Leader.

"Calm down. She's fine," assured the teenage Jean Grey, "She has been sitting on her bed since she woke up. She didn't even say a word when Kitty and Laura brought her some food."

This was a relief in some ways, but still cause for concern. Scott had been pacing while Kitty, Magneto, and teen Hank reviewed the test data. He hadn't confronted her yet. He would have to eventually, but he hadn't yet figured out what he was going to tell this Jean Grey from an entirely different world.

"Is that all?" he asked, convinced that there was something more.

"Are you asking me to eavesdrop on someone's thoughts? Because that has gotten me into a lot of trouble since I got here," said the teenage Jean Grey anxiously.

"That's not what I meant," said Scott.

"But that's what you were leading towards, isn't it?" said Celeste.

Scott didn't confirm or deny it. His demeanor told them the whole story. This new Jean Grey had done a lot to undermine his usually unflappable poise.

"Relax, we don't hold it against you," said Phoebe.

"Speak for yourself," scoffed Celeste.

"With us, that's redundant," said Mindee, rolling her eyes.

"This Jean Grey is a very advanced psychic…much more advanced than our little understudy here," said Phoebe, gesturing towards the teenage Jean.

"Understudy? When did I become _your_ understudy?" she replied, offended by her tone.

"Since you continually fail to live up to your joke of a legacy," said Celeste.

Mindee and Phoebe quickly got between the two teenage telepaths before this could escalate. They now had a much bigger psychic issue on their hand and they didn't have the luxury of continuing petty rivalries.

"By advanced, we mean she's almost on the same level as the Jean Grey we remember…as in the Jean Grey that is currently six feet under," Phoebe clarified.

"Thank you for clarifying that in the most insensitive way possible," said Scott dryly.

"And because of that, we can't exactly guard our thoughts from her," said Mindee, "Since she woke up, she has been studying us as much as we've been studying her. She's trying to learn about this world. But we can't tell why she's here or what she plans to do."

This seemed to be the most pressing issue and if this new Jean Grey was as powerful as the woman that died in Scott's arms, then she could be very dangerous. Scott was already contemplating how she would react when she found out about the death of Charles Xavier, the multiple deaths of her counterpart, and his relationship with Emma Frost. He looked over at the teenage Jean Grey. He remembered how disgusted she had been when she found out from his thoughts that he killed Charles Xavier. He wasn't sure he could stomach seeing Jean that disgusted with him again.

While Scott contemplated all the terrible possibilities, the rest of the team took a more analytical approach. The teenage Hank McCoy worked with Magneto to assess the medical data. Kitty, Emma, and Laura were there as well since they were the only ones to interact with the new Jean after she woke up. The teenage Scott was there too, skipping a training session with Warren, Bobby, and the rest of the students to keep an eye on this situation.

"Another Jean Grey…we actually have another Jean Grey with us now," said the teenage Scott, who shared much of his older counterpart's astonishment.

"Yes, and unfortunately every bit of data we're getting confirms that," groaned Emma, not hiding her dismay.

"I'm sure that has you looking over your shoulder more than you're used to, Emma," taunted Kitty.

"I never need to look over my shoulder, Pryde. Even with damaged powers," the former White Queen scoffed, "I just find it a tad disturbing that this _new_ Jean Grey, as we're calling her, is so utterly broken."

"Are you sure it's just a tad?" added Kitty.

"Call it whatever you want, but Emma is correct with respect to the data," said Magneto as he looked over the readings on a tablet computer, "Her blood, fingerprints, and iris scans are 100 percent matches. As far as our records are concerned, she is the same Jean Grey that we knew before her latest untimely death."

"Although she is aged differently," added Kitty, "She told me she's 22-years-old, which is younger than our Jean."

"But still of legal drinking age, which I'm sure just thrills Scott to no end," said Emma, rolling her eyes again, "Heaven knows it's awkward enough being around a 16-year-old Jean Grey."

Both Cyclops and the teenage Jean heard Emma's remark and scolded her for it, but she didn't care. She even brought up another important detail, albeit indirectly.

"And yet she isn't our Jean Grey," said Laura, "She may smell like Jean Grey, but she doesn't smell like someone from this world."

"That's because she has already admitted that she isn't from this world," said the teenage Hank.

"What do you mean she's not from this world? Is she an alien or something?" asked the teenage Scott in confusion.

"Oh you poor, inexperienced mini-Scott," sighed Emma, "Clearly, you're not familiar with parallel worlds. Just wait until you meet someone Nate Grey."

"I won't dread who that is if someone could help me make sense of this," he replied, having already had more than his fill of disturbing revelations.

"Well in simplest terms, this new Jean Grey is from Earth. But it's an Earth from an alternate universe," Magneto explained, "The X-men have dealt with them before. And you will most certainly deal with them later in life."

"Trust me. You'll get sick of them _real_ fast," Kitty added.

"This alternate Earth is very much like our own. There are probably alternate versions of the X-men, Avengers, and costumed heroes of all kinds. However, the circumstances and experiences within this world may be very different. And if this Jean's demeanor is any indication, they were rather traumatic."

"If she's an X-man in her world, wouldn't trauma be a given?" asked Laura with folded arms.

"Not like this," said Magneto strongly, "Based on what the Cuckoos have told me about her thoughts, I suspect she is dealing with a special kind of trauma…one that has broken her spirit in every possible way. Believe me, I know the signs."

His tone left little room for doubt. Dealing with another Jean Grey was daunting enough. Dealing with one that was so traumatized presented an even greater challenge. That didn't even touch on the circumstances that brought her to this world in the first place.

"Then this means she could be dangerous. I know those signs as well," said Laura.

"And yet we let you join the team," the teenage Jean pointed out, much to her chagrin.

"I think it would be unwise to make assumptions. The trauma of her world may only be part of the danger. There's still the matter of what brought her here," said the teenage Hank.

"She said she didn't know how she ended up here. I'm not sure I believe her," said Kitty.

"Well maybe you should," he said as he brought up a new screen on his computer, "During our examination, we detected traces of inter-dimensional energy radiating from her. This energy is actually consistent with another recent event that involved this universe interacting with the home world of our new Jean Grey."

"Wait…so this has happened before?" said the teenage Jean Grey.

"Yes, and quite recently," teen Hank went on, "Somehow, Magneto here was able to hack a few files from SHIELD's mainframe that documented a case in which a man named Quentin Beck ventured into this parallel world. His activities in this world drew our world's Spider-Man into that world as well."

"So it happened once before. Why is that relevant to dealing with a traumatized Jean Grey?" asked Kitty curiously.

"Because these files also include a report from Spider-Man indicating that this other world shares a powerful link with our own," he explained, "There aren't many details, but something connects these worlds profoundly. That connection is what drew Mr. Beck and Spider-Man into this world. It would stand to reason that this same connection drew their Jean Grey into our world."

"That still doesn't explain why she's here," said Emma, "For all we know, she screwed up her own world and now she's come here to screw this one up as well."

"Do you ever get tired of assuming the worst in people, Frost?" said Kitty with a bemused grin.

"It's not an assumption when it involves Jean Grey."

"Hey, I'm standing right here, you know?" said an offended teenage Jean Grey.

"Based on what you know about your future and possible future, are you going to deny it?"

"No, I just…wanted to point that out," she said awkwardly.

There were too many unknowns and there was too much potential for this to go wrong. This new Jean Grey had more than her share of problems. Since this wasn't even the first time their world had interacted with hers, it also meant there was a whole host of other problems they may end up having to deal with. She hadn't given them too many reasons to trust her either. However, that made it all the more important to establish some kind of trust with her.

Everyone else on the team seemed ready to assume the worst for this Jean Grey. Scott listened to his team's assessment and their concerns. His very tactical mind told him that they needed to keep her isolated until they uncovered more information, but a other conflicting feelings led him to be less tactical with his approach.

He looked back over towards the teenage Jean Grey. He remembered how he reacted when he first saw her and how she reacted to his thoughts. She lashed out at him in horror and so did the rest of the time displaced X-men. However, now they had joined his team. He managed to earn at least part of their trust. He did this by taking a chance at helping them when nobody else thought it was a good idea. This would require him to take an even bigger chance, but it involved Jean Grey so it was always worth taking.

"I'm going to talk to her…alone," said Scott, finally coming to a decision.

"And the award for worst decision of the century goes to Scott Summers," said Emma Frost, now more annoyed than bemused, "Honestly, I expect some stupidity from my ex-boyfriends, but not like this!"

"Scott, you know it's a bad idea when Emma Frost and I agree on something. Please let some of the blood flow back to your brain and reconsider," urged Kitty.

"It has to happen at some point. It might as well be now," he said strongly.

"And it's stupid," Kitty maintained, "Were you even listening when we said she's clearly traumatized and comes from a world that we don't understand?"

"Oh he was listening," Phoebe pointed out.

"Partially, that is," added Mindee.

"But he was very distracted," said Celeste, "Some parts being more distracted than others."

"All the more reason to step back and acknowledge how foolish this Jean is making you look," said Emma.

"She's right, Scott. And believe me, I take no pleasure in saying that," said Magneto, "You are too emotionally compromised right now."

"I've been emotionally compromised for most of my life. I've dealt with painfully awkward conversations before. I'm willing to deal with it again. I know it's a bad idea on way too many levels, but I'm doing it anyway. Anyone who wants to stop me is more than welcome to try."

The X-leader turned away from their critical glares and stormed off towards the dormitories. He could feel them all scolding him. He was supposed to be the leader of a mutant revolution. He couldn't be this emotionally compromised after having recently dealt with a damaged Jean Grey in Xorna. But the presence of Jean Grey in any capacity evoked so many complicated emotions that it was impossible to ignore. No good could come from avoiding them so he might as well confront them and get it over with.

Nearly everyone was inclined to argue with Scott until he admitted he was making the dumbest possible mistake. Emma and Kitty exchanged glances, as if they were plotting how they would stop Cyclops before he could even get upstairs. Magneto and Laura looked more than willing to join them. But the teenage Jean and Scott were in a different position. They had seen this before with the older Cyclops going against the sentiment of others. It ended up saving their lives so with this in mind, the teenage Jean put up a telekinetic barrier to prevent them from going after him.

"I know what you guys are thinking. Don't do it," she told them.

"Jean, do we have to have yet another lecture on reading peoples' thoughts without permission?" groaned Kitty.

"Only if I also get to give a lecture on doing what you think is right, even when everyone else thinks it's stupid," the teenage Jean replied strongly.

"That's one lesson from Charles Xavier that we all need to remember," the teenage Scott added.

"Of course you would take _her_ side," scoffed Emma, "You're every bit as emotionally compromised. Guess that means you really didn't grow up as much as I thought."

"I'll badmouth my older self all day for the crap he's done…which I guess I end up doing," he said awkwardly, "But going out of his way to help someone that nobody else here wants to help isn't something we should stop."

The two time-displaced X-men made it clear that they weren't going to let this get any more hostile than it already was. This gave Scott the opportunity he wanted to confront this new Jean Grey. For their sake and the sake of this entire revolution, he better not screw it up.

* * *

><p><strong>New Xavier Institute – Dormitories<strong>

Scott thought he was ready to confront this new Jean Grey. But when he entered her room and saw her sitting on her bed hugging her knees, he instantly faltered. He could confront being possessed by the Phoenix Force, killing Charles Xavier, and being a wanted fugitive. But once again, confronting Jean Grey in any capacity rendered him powerless in a way he couldn't avoid.

He stood a mere six feet away from the foot of her bed, frozen and at a total loss. The silence was deafening. Scott might have stood there for a few minutes or a few hours, but it was impossible to tell. At one point, Jean looked up at him. Again, he faltered. There were so many things he could have said, but nothing came out. Scott kept his mind open, allowing her to pick up on some of the thoughts that he would never be able to articulate. They might upset her. They might even disgust her. He willingly took that chance, ready to accept whatever came of it.

"We don't have to make this more awkward than it already is, Scott. You can keep your mind closed off if you want," said Jean, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry. I…thought it might be easier," Scott replied, trying not to sound too awkward.

"There's no way this was ever going to be easy…for either of us. We might as well accept that before we go any further."

Now Scott was in an even more awkward position, but this time he didn't falter. He didn't see in this Jean Grey any outrage or anger. She looked every bit as emotionally compromised as he was. Maybe that was a good thing, but it certainly wouldn't make this any easier, especially if he was going to explain to her the kind of Scott Summers that he had become.

"Jean, I don't know much about your world," Scott said to her, "I don't know what you went through or what I was like…or even if I existed in your world."

"You did," she told him.

"In either case, you're here now and I want to help you figure out what you're going to do. If you want, we can help you go back to your world."

"My world is gone. There's nothing to go back to," said Jean distantly.

"Then we can help you fix it. We know people who have experience with that sort of thing. I'm not exactly on the best of terms with most of them, but we still might be able to…"

"No Scott, you don't understand. My world is gone. And I don't want to go back."

She was dead serious. Scott now suspected he knew why she looked so traumatized as the others had noted. Her world must have really gone to hell. He saw in her a lot of pain and desperation. He couldn't begin to understand what caused it, but Jean didn't hide any of it. She just kept looking at him as if she were making a confession.

"Let's go ahead and skip a few steps here," Jean went on, "You don't know where I came from and trust me when I say you don't want to know. In my world, everything and I mean everything went to hell…and I couldn't handle it. But I don't care about that anymore. Right now, all I care about is that I'm looking at Scott Summers. That's what I've been waiting for. That's why I haven't said anything to anyone else since I woke up."

"Well…here I am," said Scott, "But you need to understand I'm not the Scott Summers you knew."

"I know that. I've been reading everybody's thoughts since I arrived. Those Stepford Cuckoos as you call them think they're so skilled. But I was breaking shields twice of strong when I was 17."

"So you know about me? You know about what I've done?" asked Scott nervously.

"I know about you, Professor Xavier, this world's X-men, the time displaced X-men, and pretty much everything else in between. Hell, I've spent most of my time here just processing all this information. But you're the one I'm most interested in Scott. And you're still not hiding your thoughts either so at this point I know pretty much everything there is to know about the Scott Summers you are."

He looked downright petrified at this revelation. He became very tense and defensive, as if he was expecting her to attack him and kill him on the spot. But Jean didn't move from her current position. She just leaned back on her arms and scrutinized this man in ways he probably hadn't been scrutinized in quite some time. She could sense how much this Scott hated himself. He had so many regrets. However, Jean saw in those regrets a Scott Summers that evoked in her a whole new range of emotions.

"Just take a moment and help me understand what I've learned," she said in a more serious tone, "You and me were part of the original X-men…just like in my world. Professor Xavier taught us to use our powers to protect and serve mankind. And he made you the leader of the team…just like in my world."

"I guess our worlds have something in common after all," Scott conceded.

"And just like in my world, you and I were in love. But you were too damn shy to come clean. At least in this world that didn't lead to me sleeping with Wolverine," she added.

Jean clearly struck a chord with this detail. This Scott hid his reaction under a mask of emotional repression. However, she sensed in him a much stronger reaction than the one she sensed in the Scott she knew. This struck a chord with her as well.

"Don't worry. I won't go into detail. I'm as disgusted by it as you," said Jean.

"I sincerely doubt that," said Scott.

"But just like in my world, we did come together. We fell in love. And from what I sensed in your Emma Frost's mind, we loved each other a lot. We got married, raised a child together, and literally sacrificed our lives for each other. Before I can even begin to make sense of all this, tell me that's true. Tell me that this is part of this world."

"It's true," said Scott without hesitation, "Read my mind if you don't believe me."

"I do. And I already have," she replied.

This time she struck a very different chord. Another range of emotions overwhelmed him and he couldn't hide them. He still tried to maintain his poise, but he might as well have been screaming it with his every thought. This in turn caused Jean to become more emotional. In one way it was a great feeling, knowing that in this world she and Scott shared a relationship that went much farther than the one she had with her world. In another it left her feeling conflicted because of the other details surrounding it.

"Now help me understand something else," said Jean in a more serious tone, "In this world, I died…twice. First by the Phoenix Force, which I never figured out in my world. Then by a guy named Xorn who might have been impersonating Magneto."

"I don't know how I can help you understand that. I can just tell you that it happened," said Scott, not hiding his distress from these memories.

"But it isn't just me dying that concerns me. In this world, you dealt with my death the first time by marrying a woman who turned out to be a clone of me. You even had a kid with that woman and left her when you found out I was alive again."

"It didn't happen like that," said Scott defensively, "That whole situation got messed up in way too many ways."

"I don't doubt that. But marrying a clone doesn't bother me nearly as much as you having a psychic affair with Emma Frost, who is a much bigger bitch in this world than the one I knew."

Scott could no longer hide his discomfort. He never got a chance to confront Jean about what happened with Emma Frost. He never even discussed it with the time-displaced Jean Grey. Even though he and Emma had broken up, that incident still haunted him. It was like a scar on his heart that would never heal and he couldn't tell whether this Jean despised him because of it. But he never moved from where he stood, ready to take whatever condemnation she had to offer.

"If you want me to explain myself, I won't make excuses," said Scott in a low tone, "It did happen. It never got physical…at least not until after you died. But it happened and I regret it. But I was messed up and so were you."

"I thought you said you weren't going to make excuses," said Jean in a bemused tone.

"It's not an excuse. It's what really happened. I just…we never got a chance to deal with it. You…the other you…died before we could."

"I'll accept that this is what happened. I'll even accept that there were crazy issues I can't begin to understand working against us. I'm just not sure I can accept you being in love with Emma and taking charge of the X-men after Professor Xavier fell out of favor. Is there any way you can explain that without excuses?"

"It is what it is, Jean. What happened with me and Emma…hell, neither one of us wanted it to happen. She'll even tell you that. But we made the most of it. We…needed each other after Professor Xavier stepped down. Maybe I needed her a lot more than she needed me. But after you died, I had a void in my heart that I couldn't live with. She helped fill that void."

"But did it ever go away?" she asked, "Did loving Emma Frost make that void go away completely?"

"No…it didn't," Scott answered without hesitation.

"And why should I believe that? I can sense that you really did love her."

"I did. But there's love and then there's unconditional love. You and I had that. That's why I married you. I was never sure I had that with Emma. For a while, I hoped we could. Then we found out the hard way that our love wasn't unconditional. She betrayed me. Then I betrayed her. That's a big reason why we're not together anymore. I'd ask you to read my mind to see for yourself, but I'd rather you not experience what happened."

It may not have been the best explanation, but there was no denying his sincerity. It was the kind of emotional upheaval that neither she nor the Scott from her world had ever experienced. After they got together, they never encountered complications like this. They never died on each other. They never had a psychic affair with one another. The worst they ever had to deal with was occasional jealousy and Scott being overly protective of her. But they never got the chance to test their love and this world's Scott and Jean endured more than their share of troubles.

Yet despite the complications, Scott's sincerity spoke volumes. She didn't need to read his mind to know how much he loved the Jean of this world. He had the same sincerity that the Scott from her world always showed when he told her he loved her. Jean needed to be convinced of that sincerity because it would ensure that he would be answer the most pressing question of all.

"I believe you," said Jean, trying to match his sincerity, "Now I need you to explain how you became the man you are now. The Scott Summers in my world was leader of the X-men, but he was never leader of a mutant revolution or the entire mutant race for that matter. To be fair though, he never got the chance. He…didn't live long enough."

"I'm sorry," said Scott, sensing her get more emotional, "What happened to me…I mean to him?"

"He was murdered right in front of me and millions of other people. I would show you the memory first hand, but I'd rather you not experience what happened."

She mirrored his exact words and tone, showing that they were on the same page emotionally. That helped give Jean the strength she needed to get through this.

"You are very different from him. You didn't just lead the X-men. You willingly sacrificed yourself for others. Is it true you actually merge with Apocalypse to save your son?" Jean asked him intently.

"Yes…it's true," said Scott, getting more emotional as well.

"Is it also true that when the X-men found out that Professor Xavier had been keeping too many dirty secrets, they rejected him and embraced you as their leader?"

"That's also true, but it was a lot more complicated than that."

"I don't need the details. I just need to know the context. Because based on what I picked up from the others, you didn't just lead the X-men against aliens, humans, and sentinels. You led the entire mutant race through its darkest hour after the Scarlet Witch went insane and decimated the entire mutant population."

"That's also true and not nearly as complicated as it sounds," Scott affirmed.

"No need to convince me. The Scarlet Witch in my world wasn't all that sane either. Hell, she was hot for her own brother," she said.

"I'd rather not know those complications," he groaned.

"But your Wanda was clearly more ambitious," Jean went on, "Because after she decimated the mutant race, the government turned on you too. You actually had to set up your own version of Utopia in the San Francisco Bay to save everyone. You then gave a big middle finger to SHIELD and the Ultimates (who I guess you call the Avengers in this world), who for some ungodly reason was being run by Norman fucking Osborn."

"That I'm proud to say is true," said Scott.

"Then even after the good guys kicked Osborn out, they attacked you again when they found out the Phoenix Force was on its way."

This was the point where Scott's greatest triumphs gave way to his worst defeats. If Jean had already gleaned some of the details from the thoughts of the others, then she already knew how badly he failed. So he prepared himself for the worst.

"That's when things got even more complicated," said Scott in an effort to add some context.

"Didn't look that complicated to me," said Jean with an almost casual shrug, "You believed the Phoenix was the key to undoing the Scarlet Witch's spell. You fought back against the Avengers when they decided to fight you. Then for some reason they thought it was a good idea to shoot the Phoenix Force with a big gun, which caused it to split and enter you and four other X-men. Now I'm not sure how different the Phoenix Force is in this world compared to mine, but even I know that was stupid on a level that only a genius like Tony Stark could manage."

Scott was somewhat relieved by her sentiment towards Tony Stark. It seemed he got far too little blame for his role in what happened with the Phoenix. Jean seemed to understand that, but she wasn't finished.

"But no matter how stupid he was, you embraced the Phoenix. You didn't just use it to destroy your enemies. You used it to try and create a global utopia," said Jean, who couldn't help but be impressed, "You ended war. You started creating rather than destroying. You didn't ask to be worshipped and you didn't ask to rule the world. Yet for some reason the Avengers kept attacking you, as if you were no better than Dr. Doom."

"If you're asking me to explain that, I'm sorry. But I'm at just as much a loss," sighed Scott, "I don't exactly remember everything that happened while I was under the influence of the Phoenix. The power kind of messed with my mind."

"No need to explain yourself there. It did that to me in my world on more than one occasion," said Jean, "But it never got to the point it got with you. When the Avengers and the X-men turned on you, it drove you crazy. One of the Stepford Sisters called it Dark Phoenix. It sounds pretty bad."

"It that and much worse," he said sadly, the dark memories of that experience still plaguing him.

"And that's when you killed Professor Xavier."

Hearing Jean say that hit him harder than any of the other harsh reminders she had thrown at him. He had heard everybody say this to him from his closest friends to his own brother. Yet he never heard an adult Jean Grey say it out loud. Even though he still believed in his heart that he never would have done such a thing, hearing it come from Jean Grey hurt in a way that was hard to deal with.

That impact didn't go unnoticed. This Scott Summers had done so many things worthy of admiration in this world, but this heinous deed was a crucial point for her. The way he confronted this would decide whether this world was truly any better than the one she left behind.

"I'm going to assume it wasn't that simple," she said, "You were under the influence of the Phoenix. It may have overwhelmed you. Or it may have only given you the right push to do what you wanted to do."

"I've already had to explain myself to every friend and teammate I ever had. I can't say much more. I know in my heart I would never willingly killed the man who raised me. But he did die by my hand. And I have to live with that for the rest of my life," said Scott in a strained voice.

"I'm not in a position to judge, Scott. Hell, I'm the last person who could do that. I don't know about your Jean Grey, but I've killed people too while under the influence of overwhelming power…multiple people who never attacked me the way Professor Xavier attacked you."

Her voice became strained too. She may have been the only person alive in this world who understood what Scott went through when Professor Xavier died. Nobody else could possibly know what it was like to be overwhelmed by that kind of power. Between the Phoenix Force and being the leader of Tian, she had to live with a lot of blood on her hands. But it was how this Scott dealt with that burden that interested her more.

"But forget for a moment the how and let's deal with the why," said Jean, "Professor Xavier attacked you even after you tried to create global peace. He blamed you when Emma Frost and that Namor guy conspired against you. And near as I can tell from the memories of Emma and Magneto, he just kept pushing you until you broke."

"And that's where my whole memory of the experience gets very fuzzy and very dark," said Scott grimly.

"That I find more telling because it's after you killed Xavier and let the Phoenix Force go, you were proven right all along. The Phoenix Force did help restore the mutant race. It did save our kind. And despite being right from the beginning, they threw you in jail and branded you a criminal."

"I remember that part only too well," groaned Scott.

"Yet even after that…after being proven right and condemned for something you couldn't possibly control, you didn't become a bitter, angry monster. You broke out of prison, rallied a new team of X-men, and gave the finger to both the Ultimates and the X-men. And now you're a wanted fugitive seeking a mutant revolution, protecting new mutants from being harassed by the authorities and turning humans against every other hero. You even found time to harbor a bunch of time-displaced X-men who might be undermining the entire space-time continuum."

"You're telling me things I already know, Jean. What do you want me to explain about it?" asked Scott, now getting frustrated by all these harsh reminders.

"I don't want you to explain it. I just want you to tell me that you are exactly the man I just described," said Jean with her own share of impatience, "I'm not going to your. For once, I don't want to get everything from your deepest, most intimate thoughts. Just look me in the eyes, be as honest as Scott Summers can possibly be, and tell me without reservation that this is who you are."

This was the moment of truth. Scott remained frozen in place, gazing at this woman who looked so much like the woman he married. He knew she wasn't his Jean, but he saw in her some of the same qualities that made his Jean so special. He still couldn't tell if this Jean could accept the Scott Summers he had become or if she would be every bit as disgusted as everyone else. But this may be the only chance to confront Jean Grey on his own terms. So with a deep breath, the X-leader made himself completely vulnerable to this woman and gave her his answer.

"Yes…this is who I am," said Scott with no room for doubt, "This is the Scott Summers I am in this world."

Another silence followed. Jean didn't react at first. She just kept staring at him, as if she were studying every possible subtlety in his tone and disposition. Scott expected her to either kill him where he stood, walk away with no intention of ever seeing him again, or some mixture of both. Whatever she did, he was ready to accept.

Finally, Jean reacted. She didn't say a word. She just got up from the bed, walked over to him, and did the last thing Scott expected. She grabbed him by the shoulders and crashed her lips against his in what may have been the hardest, most desperate kiss he had ever experienced. He was so shocked by it that every combat instinct he had ever learned through years of training shut down. This rendered him utterly helpless when Jean abruptly ended the kiss, turned him around, and pushed him onto the bed so that he was on his back. She then crawled up on top of him like a predatory animal, straddled his hips, and kissed him again before making another bold request.

"Fuck me," said Jean with a mix of desperation and passion.

"Um…Jean?" said a very dumbfounded Scott Summers.

"I said fuck me, Scott!" she shouted back at him.

"But…" he began, only to be cut off again by her soft fingers on his lips.

"Please Scott…I need this. And I can sense that you need it to. So let's just do it!"

This Jean Grey was very direct. Before Scott could begin overanalyzing this situation, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and slid it up off over her head. The sight of her ample breasts, which she figured were the same size as the Jean Grey he married, effectively silenced him. Another hard kiss sealed the deal. He stopped questioning the situation and kissed back, succumbing to the same desperate passion.

In short order, they removed their clothes and unleashed a pent up lust like no other. They touched, kissed, and moaned through an onslaught of blissful sensations and intense emotions. Their naked bodies moved together with uncanny vigor, pushing each other to heights of euphoria the likes of which they thought they would never experience again. That made every touch, kiss, and caress more meaningful. And expending so much passionate energy quickly drained them, but not before they shared their own special brand of ecstasy.

They eventually settled into a warm embrace in each other's arms, gazing at one another in a fury of conflicted emotions. On one hand, they were not looking at the same person they fell in love with in their respective worlds. On the other, they evoked the same passions when they made love. It left them at an impasse of sorts, uncertain of what to make of it. Eventually, the emotions gave way to exhaustion. Scott rolled off her and laid down by her side. They still remained close with his arms around her waist while Jean clung to his shoulders. As they caught their breath, they finally allowed themselves to appreciate this feeling.

"Wow…" Scott finally said to break the breathless silence.

"I know," said Jean with a playful grin.

"You were right, Jean. We did need that."

"Did we ever!" she affirmed.

"But I have to ask you something."

"Do you really want to undermine the afterglow with petty questions?" Jean said with a slight pout.

"There's nothing petty about this. I just need to know why," Scott said to her in more serious tone.

"You mean why did we need to fuck or why in general?"

"You know what I mean, Jean. Please…just tell me."

It was probably too much to ask, hoping that Scott would just relax and enjoy this moment. That wasn't in the nature of the Scott from her world and it wasn't in the nature of this Scott as well. But that didn't bother her. He had been so sincere with her up to this point. She might as well return the favor.

"Don't think for a moment that I'm ignoring the details here," Jean told him, "I know you're not my Scott. You're not the same man I fell in love with in my world. But you're still so much like him. You embody so much of what I loved about him."

"But I can still never be him," he reminded her.

"That's the astonishing part. You may not be him, but you are everything I knew he would become. The Scott in my world…he was still growing. He was shy, uncertain, and reserved to a fault. It wasn't until after we got together that he finally came out of his shell. Who knows what he could have become if he hadn't…"

Jean had to stop herself, refusing to relive that terrible memory of watching him die. Another wave of emotions overcame her as she tenderly caressed the face of this man, feeling in him everything she ever loved about Scott Summers.

"It doesn't matter now. Who he was and who you are represent all the things about Scott Summers that I love. I saw my Scott growing into a man I truly loved. And you've already become that man."

"But how can you love a man who has done the things I've done?" he asked, still not convinced.

"Maybe the other Jean Grey in this world wouldn't understand. Hell, I'm sure that teenage Jean running around doesn't understand. But I do. Like me, you're damaged…burdened by so many mistakes and haunted by the monster you let yourself become. But despite all that, you keep growing into a better man. And so long as I'm in this world, I want to become a better woman."

She spoke to him as if she were the only person in the universe who truly understood him. It seemed so appropriate. When his Jean was still alive, she knew him better than anyone. Even Emma admitted that. Scott never imagined he would meet another woman who could understand him like that. He turned out to be only partially right.

This Jean Grey may have come from a different world, but he saw in her the same damage that he endured. In her eyes, he saw the same person he once saw in himself while he was in prison. He also saw in her the same passion to keep fighting and rise from the ashes so to speak. In that sense he also saw in her many of the same traits from his Jean Grey that he had fallen so deeply in love with.

Through this unspoken understanding, the two lovers from two different worlds kissed again. Their naked bodies remained entwined and the passion had not fully faded. The same desperation that led to such heated sex remained. Never one to miss an opportunity for passion, Jean reignited that desperation with more intimate touching. It didn't surprise Scott as much as before, but it help evoke a fresh round of passion.

"Fuck me again, Scott," said Jean with a sense of urgency upon breaking the kiss.

"Wow…you're a very blunt kind of Jean Grey," said Scott, not nearly as surprised as earlier.

"Is that a complaint?" she asked.

"Not in the slightest," he replied with a grin.

"Good, because in my world, I've always been very direct with my passions. And in this world, I intend to follow them for all the right reasons."

The powerful desires from earlier returned, albeit not as desperate. Now secure in their understanding of each other and the world they came from, Scott and Jean allowed themselves to fully succumb to their passions. In their minds, they weren't just laying next to someone from another world. They were with the same person they fell in love with. They embodied in each other everything they fell in love with in their respective worlds. And those feelings drove them to into another sexual frenzy.

This time, they were steadier with their passions. Scott and Jean approached their lovemaking as they would in their respective worlds. They fully utilized the knowledge they had gained from the relationships they had with their counterparts. It proved to be just as effective in this world as it was in theirs. There were a few variations. Jean demonstrated a few talents that Scott didn't remember his wife showing and he returned the favor by showing some of the skills he learned as Emma Frost's lover. It made for a more prolonged experience that allowed them to cherish each other in the fullest.

The pace of their lovemaking eventually slowed as they each expended every last gasp of passion. In this desperate act, they clung to each other, as if to prevent fate from taking them away from each other again. When all was said and done and their passions had been fully spent, they lingered in their naked embrace. Jean rose up off his manhood, yet remaining upright in the center of the bed. Their eyes never diverted, remaining locked in each other's gaze.

"Thank you, Scott. I never thought I would get a chance to do this…to share this with you," said Jean in deeply emotional tone.

"I never thought I would feel it either," he said, now caressing her face, "But I look at you and I see so much of the Jean I knew."

"And I see in you the man I lost…a man I don't want to lose again," she said with a slight tear in her eye.

What they saw and felt was unmistakable. They were from different worlds, yet the emotions from their dead lovers seemed to manifest within them. As they embraced each other, they finally began to contemplate the larger implications. In sharing those emotions, it created a unique situation for them and everyone else in the X-men.

"So…what does this mean in the long run?" wondered Scott.

"You mean for us?" Jean asked.

"I mean for you being in this world. You said you had lost so much. Is there anything at all that's worth going back to?"

"I doubt it. My world has probably been destroyed by now. I couldn't go back if I wanted. And believe me, I don't want to go back," she said, embracing him a little closer to reinforce her point.

"Then if you're stuck here, you're more than welcome to stay on this team. But I should warn you…this world has its own set of challenges. There are still a lot of things you don't know and may not be ready to deal with. And I'm not just talking about my issues."

He made it seem as though this was his primary concern, but Jean could already sense the subtext. He was worried that she might discover something about this world or about him that she didn't like. That may undermine this powerful feeling that they had just captured together. Scott didn't want to lose it either and she couldn't blame him. Losing his Jean had done a lot of damage to him, but she knew all too well how such a loss could lead to some very dark paths. This Scott had already walked some of those paths, but he was far from gone. That effectively sealed her decision.

"Scott, I understand this world is fucked up in its own unique way," said Jean, "I can tell it has damaged you in the same way my world damaged me. I mean let's face it. We're both pretty broken right now."

"I won't argue that, but…" he began, only to get silenced again.

"No buts, Scott. This doesn't have to be another complication. My world is gone. And even before that, I was becoming a very dark person. Now that I'm here, I want to build a new life in this world. We were both so wounded when we lost each other. So let's help each other heal. Let's make this world the best of both worlds."

For once, the situation before them was simple. Jean Grey was dead in this world and this new Jean Grey came from a world that had been destroyed. They had already evoked in each other the same feelings they had experienced in their respective worlds. There was nothing stopping them from making the most of this unusual situation. Having been so devastated by losing each other, the Scott Summers from this world and the Jean Grey from another world came together in these unique circumstances to build a better world together.

* * *

><p><strong>The End…For Now<strong>


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